Polución y riesgo cardiovascular

La contaminación ambiental es el gran mal de las ciudades populosas. Recientemente, se ha comprobado que la contaminación aerea aumenta el riesgo de sufrir enfermedades cardiovasculares. Los investigadores de la Universidad de Washington sostienen que por cada 20 mincrogramos por metro cúbico que aumenta la polución, aumenta 76% el riesgo de morir de enfermedad del corazoón o ictus.

Los investigadores estudiaron más de 60.000 mujeres en 36 ciudades norteamericanas que tenían índices de contaminación entre 4 y 20 microgramos por metro cúbico. Llama la atención que las mujeres son más sensibles a la contaminación que los varones. Al parecer, las  arterias coronarias femeninas son de menor calibre y serían más susceptibles a la contaminación. Las mujeres pertenecían al famoso estudio WHI que fueron controladas durante 9 años para estudiar las causas de enfermedades cardiovasculares.

 Van Hee VC, Adar SD, Szpiro AA, Barr RG, Bluemke DA, Diez Roux AV, Gill EA, Sheppard L, Kaufman JD. Exposure to Traffic and Left Ventricular Mass and Function: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States.

Rationale Ambient air pollution has been associated with heart failure morbidity and mortality. The mechanisms responsible for these associations are unknown but may include the effects of traffic-related pollutants on vascular or autonomic function. Objectives We assessed the cross-sectional relation between long-term air pollution, traffic exposures, and important end-organ measures of alterations in cardiac function - left ventricular mass index and ejection fraction - in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, a multi-center study of adults without prior clinical cardiovascular disease. Methods 3,827 eligible participants (age 45-84 years) underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging between 2000-2002. We estimated air pollution exposures using residential proximity to major roadways and interpolated concentrations of fine particulate matter (less than 2.5 microns in diameter). We examined adjusted associations between these exposures and left ventricular mass and function. Measurements and Main Results Relative to participants living >150 meters from a major roadway, participants living within 50 meters of a major roadway showed an adjusted 1.4 g/m(2) (95% CI: 0.3, 2.5) higher left ventricular mass index -- a difference in mass corresponding to a 5.6 mmHg greater systolic blood pressure. Ejection fraction was not associated with proximity to major roadways. Limited variability in estimates of fine particulate matter was observed within cities, and no associations with particulate matter were found for either outcome following adjustment for center. Conclusions Living in close proximity to major roadways is associated with higher left ventricular mass index, suggesting chronic vascular end-organ damage from a traffic-related environmental exposure. Air pollutants or another component of roadway proximity, such as noise, could be responsible.

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